Astrid Maxxim and Her Amazing Hoverbike (14 page)

Toulson drove Astrid and Toby to the Maxxim home and helped them unload the hoverbike.  He filled in Astri
d’
s parents on the events of the afternoon.  Dr. Maxxim was keen to see the bike in operation, so Toby flew it several times around the house, finally setting it down in the backyard, and steering it into the pool house for safekeeping.

“
Tha
t’
s amazing Astrid
,”
said her father.
 “
I ca
n’
t believe how much power yo
u’
ve managed to get out of my hoverdisks
.
”

“
I
t’
s the Astridium
,”
said Astrid without enthusiasm.
 “
I
t’
s going to revolutionize materials manufacturing
.
”

Dr. Maxxim put his arm around his daughter.

“
I know yo
u’
re worried about Austin, but you may have saved his life.  You figured out where to find him and then brought him in for medical treatment
.
”

“
I should have realized where he was before
,”
said Astrid. 

“
Just try and put it all out of your mind.  You and Toby get ready and go to the Spring Fling.  Your mother and I are going out to dinner at Linguin
i’
s
.
”

Astrid looked over at Toby.

“I’
m sorry, but I do
n’
t really feel like going to the dance
,”
she said.

“
Tha
t’
s alright.  Neither do I.  Maybe we could just hang out and watch a movie
.
”

“
Well, you kids suit yourselves
,”
said Dr. Maxxim.
 “
Mr. Toulson is here, so I know yo
u’
ll be fine.

Fifteen minutes later the Maxxims had gone.  Astrid had changed into a clean shirt, jeans, and sandals and had joined Toby in the family room.

“
I suppose everyone else is at the dance
,”
said Astrid.
 “
I mean, except Austin
.
”

“
Denise is going with Christopher
,”
replied Toby.
 “
Bud Collins asked Valerie and I think she said yes
.
”

“
What about Robot Valerie
?
”

“
I do
n’
t know.  I do
n’
t think anybody asked her.  Maybe the
y’
re afraid of her laser beam eyes
.
”

“
Now I feel doubly bad
,”
said Astrid.
 “
I feel bad for Austin because h
e’
s in the hospital and I feel bad for Robot Valerie because nobody asked her to the Spring Fling
.
”

“
Why do
n’
t we invite her over here
?”
said Toby.
 “
We could watch a movie
.
”

“
Alright
,”
replied Astrid, taking out her phone.

She called and invited Robot Valerie over.  Valerie promised to come and within twenty minutes, Mr. Diaz had dropped her off at the front door.  Valeri
e’s’
skin and hair was the same shiny metallic as always, but she wore a grey sweater and a cute black and yellow striped skirt.

“
Thanks for inviting me
,”
she said.
 “
I was feeling kind of lonely.  How come the two of you are
n’
t at the dance
?
”

Astrid and Toby took turns telling her of the da
y’
s events.

“
Tha
t’
s terrible
,”
she said, upon hearing of Austi
n’
s injury.
 “
I hope h
e’
s alright
.
”

“
Me too
,”
said Astrid.
 “
So anyway, tha
t’
s why we did
n’
t feel like going to the dance
.
”

“
I did
n’
t really expect anyone to ask me
,”
said Valerie.
 “
I was kind of surprised when Bud asked m
e…
the other m
e…
I mean, Regular Valerie
.
”

“
Come on in the family room
,”
said Astrid.
 “
W
e’
re going to watch a movie.  What do you guys want to watch
?
”

“
Raiders of the Lost Ark
,”
voted Toby.

“
I was going to say
Toy Story
,”
said Valerie.

“
Okay
,”
said Astrid.
 “
W
e’
ll compromise and watch
Princess Mononoke
.
”

“
How is that a compromise
?”
asked Toby.

“
I
t’
s animated like
Toy Story
,”
explained Astrid.
 “
I
t’
s also got fighting and mystical stuff like
Raiders
.
”

“
I suppose it does
n’
t hurt that i
t’
s your favorite movie
,”
said Valerie.

“
Well, yeah.  But tha
t’
s not why I suggested it
.
”

They all sat down on the big sofa and Astrid searched through the entertainment menu for
Princess Mononoke
.

“
You do
n’
t mind if I plug in while
I’
m here, do you
?”
asked Valerie.

“
No, go right ahead
.
”

The robot girl opened the panel in her arm, pulled out the power cable and plugged it into the wall near where she was sitting.

“
What does that feel like
?”
asked Toby.

“
It feels kind of good
,”
she said.
 “
I get a warm feeling in my tummy, like I just ate some of Mam
a’
s tamales
.
”

“
I was going to suggest making some popcorn and having some soda
,”
said Toby.
 “
I did
n’
t want to be rude though, since you do
n’
t eat or drink
.
”

“
Oh, go ahead
,”
said Valerie.
 “
It wo
n’
t bother me
.
”

“
May I use your kitchen then, to whip us up a movie snack
?”
Toby asked Astrid.

“
Sure.  The sodas are in the fridge, and the popcorn is in the cabinet right above the microwave
.
”

Toby stepped into the other room.

“
He did at least ask you to the dance, did
n’
t he
?”
wondered Valerie.

“
Yes he did
,”
replied Astrid.
 “
He was really sweet.  He even asked me what color my dress was so that he could get me a corsage
.
”

“
Well, ther
e’
s always the Junior Prom for you to look forward to
,”
said Valerie.
 “
I do
n’
t guess
I’
ll ever get asked to a dance.  I do
n’
t think ther
e’
s any boy who wants a robot girlfriend
.
”

“
I bet you there ar
e…
. Oh, here we g
o—
Princess Mononoke
.
”

Just as the title of the movie was coming out of her mouth, Toby ran back into the family room.

“
Hurry!  W
e’
ve got to get out of here
!
”

“
Wha
t’
s going on
?”
wondered Astrid.

“
There are men outside
,”
he said.
 “
The
y’
re heading for the house through the garden
.
”

They heard the sound of breaking glass coming from the breakfast room.

“
Quick, we have to tell Charles
,”
said Astrid.

“
No time
,”
said Toby.
 “
Quick.  Downstairs
.
”

Astrid ran to the basement door next to the bookcase on the south wall.  Toby was right behind her.  The heard a squeal and turned around to see that Valerie was caught up in her charging cord. 

“
Go
,”
said Toby, pushing Astrid through the door.
 “I’
ll get Valerie
.
”

Astrid hurried downstairs and jumped behind the steps, hiding behind the crate labele
d“
Antarctica Expedition 1928
.
”
 
She did
n’
t know if she would be followed by Toby and Valerie or by the strange men invading her home.  Sounds of a scuffle upstairs and the sounds of muffled voices reached her ears, but the basement door did
n’
t open.  She waited for several minutes.  It got quiet, but still no one descended down after her.

Stepping back out of her hiding place, Astrid carefully ascended the stairs.  She placed her ear to the door and listened but did
n’
t hear anything, so she slowly opened it and peered out.  What she saw sent her flying back out into the family room.  There on the floor was Toby.  He was lying on his side and his right arm was bent at a bizarre angle.  He had his eyes clamped shut but opened them when Astrid approached.

“
They took her
,”
he said.
 “
They took Valerie
.
”

“
Wait here
,”
Astrid ordered.
 “I’
m going to find Charles
.
”

She rushed through the living room and down the hallway to the old mai
d’
s quarters where Toulson now made his residence.  Throwing her shoulder to the door as she turned the knob, she burst into his room, but it was unoccupied.  She saw some of Toulso
n’
s clothes on a chair and a book was open face down upon the bed, but the man was nowhere to be seen.  Astrid rushed back to Toby.

“
I’
ve got to call the police
,”
she said.

“
Way ahead of you
,”
he answered, holding his cell phone in his left hand.
 “I’
ll call.  Yo
u’
ve got to follow them.  You ca
n’
t let them get away
.
”

“
Follow them
?”
said Astrid.
 “
What am
I…
oh, the hoverbike
!
”

“
Right.  Do you have your cell
?
”

“
Yes
,”
Astrid replied.
 “
Are you sure yo
u’
re alright
?
”

“
Yes.  Go
,”
he said, as he began dialing.

Astrid raced out the door, around the pool, to the pool house.  Opening up the door, she found the hoverbike right where Toby had parked it.  She hopped into the seat and pressed the power button.  The hoverdisks hummed to life, gently lifting her and the bike up about a foot in the air.  Pushing her foot against the doorframe, she floated the bike out into the back yard.  Then pressing the accelerator and pulling back on the controls, she shot up into the air.

The hoverbike flew faster and higher than it had with two riders.  Astrid easily shot over the Maxxim hom
e’
s three stories and gable roof.  Making three ever widening circles around her immediate neighborhood failed to give any indication where the kidnappers might have gone, so Astrid decided to check out the most obvious route out of town. 

The interstate highway ran north from Maxxim City toward the major metropolitan areas of the southwest.  Astrid zipped over the tops of the carefully cultivated trees that covered the entire town and then over the low brush, scrub, and cacti that covered the desert.  In the dark night, with only a sliver of moon showing, the cars on the highway were the only light sources.  The highway was
n’
t busy.  It usually was
n’
t.  And most of the cars on the road were heading south rather than north.  There were however three large vehicles in the distance, possibly vans, driving so closely together that they looked like they formed a convoy.   

Astrid checked the speedometer.  She was flying through the chilly night air at almost 50 miles per hour, a speed which made her a little queasy just thinking about it.  Still, the three vans, like all the other cars on the highway would leave her behind in no time.  Then, as she was watching, the three vehicles shot down an exit ramp and turned onto one of the roads running perpendicular to the highway.  Astrid steered the bike toward the road ahead of them, realizing that she could make up some ground by taking the proverbial cro
w’
s route.

The wind in her face had forced her to squint as she traveled at the hoverbik
e’
s maximum speed, but as she turned east it lessened considerably.  She decided she must now have a tailwind.  Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her phone and hit the preset speed dial for Toby.

“
Astrid
?”
he answered.
 “
Where are you
?
”

“
I’
m just east of the highway.  I think
I’
m heading for state route 11. 
I’
m following three vans that just turned onto the road.  I
t’
s got to be them.  I ca
n’
t figure out why anybody else would be heading this way.  Ther
e’
s nothing but cattle ranches and open land out here
.
”

“
The police are here, Astrid.  The
y
…”

There was a pause and another voice came on the line.

“
Astrid.  This is Police Chief Gillespie.  You do
n’
t need to do thi
s
…”

“
Ack
!”
shouted Astrid, as something smacked her right in the forehead.  She lost the grip on both the phone and the hoverbike controls.  The bike dropped down about ten feet, but the automatic gyros stabilized the vehicle.  Her phone though went tumbling down into the darkness below.

Astrid felt her forehead, and then felt herself start to gag as she wiped it off with her hand.  A large bug had splattered against her, leaving most of its remains on her face and hair.

“
Oh my gosh
,”
she said.
 “
This is disgusting.  Boy, am I glad I did
n’
t turn on the headlight
.
”

Redirecting her attention to the vans, Astrid was surprised that she was gaining on them.  Because the road was winding and it was unpaved, it forced the three fleeing vehicles to move more slowly than they had on the interstate.  Within minutes, she was approaching close enough to determine that they were indeed black vans, black with darkened windows.  In fact, they looked a lot like Mr. Toulso
n’
s van. 

They approached a low range of mountains and Astrid wondered if they had a hideout somewhere up there, but then the three vans turned north again.  This road was an even rougher and more winding road than the state route.  Astrid flew along, easily keeping up with them now, flying behind them and to their right.  They continued for miles and miles.  She was beginning to think that they might never stop, when she saw something ahead in the darkness.  As the headlights from the three vans approached what had previously been nothing more than several large slightly darker squares on the already dark desert backdrop, the shadowy forms became recognizable as huge hanger buildings.  This was an abandoned airfield.

“
Oh no
,”
said Astrid to herself.
 “
They must have a plane or a helicopter coming to meet them.  If they get onboard with Valerie, she might never be seen again
.
”

The vehicles Astrid had been pursuing stopped in front of one of the three buildings and the occupants began piling out.  Hovering in the dark night, she counted eleven men.  Then she saw Valerie.  The robot girl had her hands handcuffed behind her back and she looked frightened.

Setting the hoverbike down on the sand about fifty feet behind the building, Astrid snuck over to one of the windows.  The hanger was huge, and with the exception of the new arrivals, empty.  Even though she could hear the echoing voices of the men, they were too far away to make out their words.  Moving stealthily along the wall, she reached the window closest to the men and the robot girl.

“
How long before the plane gets here
?”
asked one of the men, a big, ugly brute.

“
Fifteen minutes
,”
said another, looking at his cell phone.

“
Good
,”
said a third.

Astri
d’
s stomach suddenly felt as if it had been filled with icy cold water.  The third man was none other than Mr. Charles Edward Toulson.  He was one of the kidnappers!